Gasto de bolsillo de pacientes con VIH/SIDA que asisten a un programa de control en Montería, Colombia

introduction. The human immunodeficiency virus is an infectious agent that has caused more than 34 million deaths since its discovery. objective. To estimate the out-of-pocket expenses assumed by patients with a diagnosis of hiv-aids who attend a program to control their disease in the city of Montería. methods. Descriptive study. To determine out-of-pocket expenses, the methodology defined by Coyle and Drummond and the methodological guide for conducting economic evaluations within the framework of the Ministry of Health’s Clinical Practice Guidelines were taken into account. results. 43 patients participated, average age 36 years, 59% unemployed. Monthly expenses: transportation were an average of 12.83 dollars, the expenses assumed in medical services an average of 20 dollars, with diagnostic studies of 5.85 dollars. They stopped receiving an average of 38.6 dollars. The total expenses assumed by the patients were 73. 44. About 44% received some type of economic benefit from the eps, ips or the mayor’s office, for an average value of 4.76 dollars. conclusions. The out-of-pocket expenses that patients must assume are very high, sometimes representing up to 83% of their income, which indicates that their illness is behaving as a catastrophic event. Although the national program includes the delivery of antiretroviral drugs, expenditures on other drugs, laboratory tests, and disabilities are impacting patients.